HACKENSACK, N.J. and NEW BRITAIN, Conn. - FDU men's basketball (11-12, 5-3 NEC) continues the back half of Northeast Conference play with a pair of league foes this week, beginning with Thursday's (Feb. 8) game against Wagner inside the Bogota Savings Bank Center in Hackensack, N.J. Thursday's game will be streamed on NEC Front Row and the NEC on the Run App. Tickets are on-sale at FDUKnights.com/Tickets.

With a day's rest, the Knights will head to New Britain to face Central Connecticut for the final time in the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. ET. Friday's game will air on the YES Network and the YES App as part of the NEC's television package and will also air on ESPN+.

The first 350 fans to Thursday's game against Wagner, which closes a four-game homestand, will receive a free FDU Knights flag. Thursday's game is also the Knights' Mental Health Game, organized by the Department's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 
 

About FDU

Jack Castleberry's Knights are clicking into gear as the Burgundy and Blue enter the week 5-1 in their last six outings. FDU earned an NEC win last time on the hardwood, hosting LIU on Feb. 1, the team's only game of the week. FDU's scoring column was spread out with seven Knights scoring in the first half. Junior forward Ansley Almonor (Spring Valley, N.Y./St. Joseph Regional [Mont.]) and graduate student guard Heru Bligen (Glenn Dale, Md./St. Andrew's Episcopal) combined for 19 of the Knights' 42 first half points. FDU started the game with a 21-9 lead. FDU finished with at least four Knights in double figures for the ninth time this season (five players). Senior forward Sean Moore (Columbus, Ohio/Reynoldsburg) reached a double-double for the fifth time this season, finishing with 15 points and 11 boards against the Sharks.

The team's 16 steals were the most in an NEC game this season.

Almonor closes in on a pair of milestones as the junior sits with 154 made three-point field goals, tied for the ninth-most all-time at FDU. The reigning NEC Most Improved Player is 47 points shy of the 1,000 points scored threshold.
 

About the Opponents

Wagner comes to Hackensack 4-5 in NEC play with an overall mark of 4-5 on the road. Limiting opponents to an average of 62.9 points a game, Wagner's scoring defense ranks 10th in the nation and leads the Northeast Conference.

Central Connecticut suffered their second league defeat on Saturday at Merrimack as the Warriors handed the first place team in the conference a 71-68 loss. Central Connecticut had won each of their previous four NEC games heading into Saturday, including a win over FDU on Jan. 25.
 

About the Series

FDU is 59-60 all-time against Wagner... FDU is 30-24 against the Blue Devils...
 

What's Next

Next week the Knights head to LIU for a Thursday evening showdown in the Northeast Conference on Feb. 15 before returning home to host Saint Francis U as part of Hall of Fame Weekend on Saturday, Feb. 17. Both games will air live on NEC Front Row and the NEC on the Run App.

Connect with FDU men's basketball on X and Instagram, @FDUKnightsMBB.

Bogota Savings Bank is the presenting sponsor for the 2023-24 FDU men's basketball season.